Which often means endless distractions from the internet, the kids, the pets, the neighbors, the housework and so forth.

Here’s how to improve your focus and get productive, starting today:

1. Follow your own natural rhythms. Some people are more productive and focused in the morning while others do better in the evening. Figure out which hours work best for you, and then block those hours out. Schedule nothing during that time except for work.

2. Notify your family, friends and anyone else that you have working hours and don’t want to be distracted.

3. Have a place to work where you do nothing but work. If your workstation is also your play station, your browse-the-internet station and so forth, it will be too easy to get distracted.

4. Put on music or tones that help you to focus. You’ll find these on YouTube when you search for focus music, or tune in to your favorite commercial free music radio station online.

5. Set deadlines for everything you do. If you have deadlines to honor, you’re more likely to get the work done.

6. Plan your breaks. Set a timer for 20 minutes, and when it goes off, get up and walk around or do jumping jacks for a minute. You’ll be re-energized and ready to get back to work with clearer focus than if you just try to power through.

Working from home is fantastic in its flexibility, as long as you manage to focus your time.

There are many resources available to enable people to make money on a part-time basis, online as well as offline, and many of those can be done while working from home.

While some positions may require specialized training, most can be performed with little or none. For example, the field of data entry is open as many companies are outsourcing the inputting of information to outside companies.

Most of the data input opportunities are available to be worked at home from your own computer. A similar field is in transcription services, medical as well as legal, among others, where clients will submit via email or file transfer digital sound recordings and you transcribe them into a text document. This field is continuing to grow. Despite the ability to digitally record and maintain files, there’s still a need to have written documentation.

Another method of earning part time cash is through online auctions. You can make some money by cleaning out your basement and garage and putting them up for sale in an online auction and if someone wants your stuff, you can make money off what might normally be trash. Many times you can make more than having a garage sale if you list your items for sale professionally on sites like eBay.

That said, if you are looking to make a steady income from online auctions there are some online drop shipping companies with whom you can connect to list items from them into your auction sites. If the item sells, you pay your price for that item and the company ships the merchandise to the customer.

There are also some sites offering paid surveys that can be filled out online at home at your convenience. You will be notified of available surveys and how much it pays to fill them out. You then pick and choose which ones you want to do. There are also sites looking for people to write short advertising copy for internet ads, along with articles and ebooks as well. Some experience may be required, but for those accepted in this part-time, work-from-home position, it can provide a substantial income.

Many search providers are always looking for researchers to develop and provide content for internet search sites. While having basic knowledge of a subject is helpful, a little time on research can provide you with enough knowledge to be considered an expert on some information search sites. Additionally, some people are willing to pay for expert advice on niche subjects. If you maintain a web log you may try to provide expert advice on specific areas in which you are almost an expert, looking up any information you don’t know and slowly becoming a real expert.

These are only a few of the legitimate ways that you can start earning money part-time. Invest some research and due diligence into some of these different opportunities on your favorite search engine and you will soon find many possibilities for you to explore and begin developing a real, honest and sustainable income from home.

With a computer and high speed Internet access, the potential for the home worker to make money online is virtually limitless. When it comes to finding the right home based business opportunity, there are several things to consider. Here are the top five:

1. Are You a Salesperson?

Some people have a natural talent for sales, while others couldn’t sell water to someone stranded in the desert. For the home based worker who has the ability to sell, network marketing may be the perfect home based business. Network marketing typically involves selling products in one or more niche markets, as well as selling the opportunity. Also known as multi-level marketing, network marketing pays commissions based on a percentage of your sales and on the sales of your “downline,” or those you have recruited to sell the product. Each opportunity has its own commission plan, and many pay bonuses on top of commissions.

2. Are You Experienced?

If you have years of experience being a home worker, you probably have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, if you’re new to being an entrepreneur, you probably need training. Look for a company that offers the tools and training you need in order to succeed. The type of training you receive can encompass everything from weekly conference calls or webinars (Internet-based seminars), to one-on-one coaching from your upline, to training manuals and other written materials.

3. Are You Internet Savvy?

If you know your way around the Internet and know something about setting up and hosting websites, the possibilities are endless. You can create your own websites, for example, and start generating affiliate revenue and Google AdSense revenue.

If you haven’t the foggiest idea of how to set up and host a website, be sure to find a company you can partner with who will do the heavy lifting. There are many Internet-based opportunities for the home based worker from companies that provide what are called “replicated sites.” They’ll design and host your websites for you, so that all you have to do is work on marketing in order to drive traffic to your site.

4. How Much do You Want to Work?

Before selecting a home based business opportunity, honestly assess how much you want to work. If a stay-at-home mom needs extra money, she may only want to work two or three hours a day. If someone wants to quit the rat race and work full time as a home worker, it will normally require a greater investment of time and possibly money to grow your business and level of income to that level. Sometimes a single home based business will provide all of the revenue a person needs, while other times you have to embark on several opportunities to diversify and multiply your revenue streams.

5. How Hands-On do You Want to Be?

Some home based business opportunities require that you be actively involved on a day-to-day basis, either in order fulfillment and customer service or in marketing your websites or businesses. Other opportunities are more passive in nature, in that you have to spend a lot of time initially, but they become self-perpetuating. If you’re a home worker who enjoys being an ongoing active participant, choose an opportunity that requires you to interact with other people. If you prefer to be hands-off, select a business that will basically run itself.

As you can see, there are several factors to consider when exploring opportunities to work from home and make money online. That said, there is an abundance of legitimate opportunity if you are a truly serious home worker.